By Paul Dobbyn
BRISBANE pro-life activists Belinda Goodwin and Graham Preston have encountered different forms of opposition to their actions.
Mrs Goodwin, a doctor and mother of eight children, has been involved in pro-life actions since her university days and helped found the annual Rally for Life.
She has noticed a “hardening of the hearts of some women” encountered at her vigils outside abortion clinics.
“The women are much more educated about what’s happening these days than they used to be,” Mrs Goodwin said.
“They will say things such as ‘I know I’m killing my baby but I’d rather do that than give it away to strangers’.”
Mr Preston, father of seven, has been protesting outside Brisbane abortion clinics for the past 12 years.
He has been jailed for failing to pay fines after arrests on several occasions.
Now, he has taken the fight to Tasmania to oppose new laws prohibiting such protests within 150m of an abortion clinic.
On March 4, he held a vigil in Hobart holding a sign linking the rights of unborn children to United Nations documents.
He also held a photograph of “an eight-week-old pre-born baby” and was arrested after refusing to follow police orders to move on.
Mr Preston was also arrested the following day at a different location.
He was released on bail on both charges and will appear in court on a later date.
During his vigils Mr Preston also held a sign asking: Are unborn babies human beings?
“Sadly, a disturbingly high number of people were willing to shout at me that unborn babies are not human,” he said.
He also reported an incident where “a very angry woman screaming abuse” threw a can of drink in his face and scribbled with a felt pen on his signs.
His protests were to continue until the Tasmanian state election on March 15.
Mrs Goodwin is becoming increasingly convinced about the power of prayer in her actions.
“I have the sense that prayer can be much more powerful in these places than direct action,” she said. “There’s a lot of sadness in situations out there and your heart often breaks.
“It’s not a nice situation we are dealing with but many blessings come out of being involved … I can’t count them they are so many.
“Several weeks ago, I was praying with a couple of my children outside a Salisbury clinic.
“Two couples approached and listened as we prayed the Rosary.
“I don’t know what decision they made as we had to leave not long after.
“One thing for sure is it’s a massive spiritual battle and one in which we must all get involved.”
